Vestibule-curtain holder.



W. E. TIPPETT.

VESTIBULE CURTAIN HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1910.

1,000,131. Patented Aug. 8,1911.

awue/wtoz ITED STATS PAT FFIQE.

WILLIAM E. TIPPE'IT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

VES'IIBULE-CURTAIN HOLDER.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM E. Tirrn'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in vestibule-Curtain Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to a fastening device for a vestibule curtain and more particularly to certain improvements upon Patent #850,193, granted to me April 16, 1907.

In my former invention provision was made for automatically unfastening the curtain whenever the cars were accidentally uncoupled or when the brakeman uncoupled the cars without unfastening the curtain and my present invention aims to accomplish exactly the same objects. In my former device the operating cords or cables passed through the curtain adjacent to the fastening device but this method I have found not entirely convenient although it works perfectly well so I have devised an improved construction whereby the operating cord, chain or cable can be made to pass through the fastening portion of the handle or loop thereby completely avoiding the ne cessity of passing the said cord, chain or cable through the curtain.

Another object of the invention is to operate the device by means of a single cord or cable operating upon the center and thereby providing a cheaper and simpler form of device.

With these various objects in view, my invention consists 1n the novel features of construction and combination hereinafter fully.

described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification :Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of two vestibule cars and showing my improved holder in place. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through one vestibule curtain and holder, the parts being arranged in their fastened positions. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in the act of automatically unfastening. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the rod portion of the loop. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing the lower end of the main portion of the loop or handle. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the keeper.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the doorway at the end of one car and B the doorway of the other car and C the usual Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. July 25, 1910.

Patented Au 8, ram.

Serial No. 573,772.

construction, of bellows attached to and forming part of the vestibule of the car.

D indicates the usual construction of curtain which is attached to a spring roller arranged upon or within the door frame A. and upon the door frame B is arranged a keeper E, which is intended to be engaged by a loop or handle F which is attached to the free end of the curtain about midway its height. lVhen the cars are coupled together the curtain D is drawn out for the purpose of protecting the joint between the two bellows and the loop or handle F is attached to the keeper E for the purpose of holding the said curtain D in its distended position and the tension of the spring will of course maintain said curtain taut and will permit the said curtain to expand and contract to compensate for the movements of the spring actuated bellows constituting a part of the vestibule.

Before the introduction of my invention previously referred to, it was necessary to first disconnect the curtain before uncoupling the cars and whenever this unfastening operation was omitted the curtain would be torn or damaged as the cars were pulled apart. In the patent referred to, means were shown for automatically releasing the curtain and in the present instance the curtain is also automatically released by means of a chain or cable G, which is made fast at one end as shown at G, while at the other end the said chain or cable is fastened to an arm I-I, attached to a lug H carried by the bar F, which constitutes a part of the handle or loop. This handle or loop is preferably made in two pieces F and F, the vertical members being semicircular in shape and provided with parallel vertical flanges F between which the end of the curtain can be secured, the rod D at the end of the curtain being arranged between the semi-circular portions of the loop, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The horizontal members of the handle are pivotally connected together and are provided with mating bores to receive the pintles F of the bar F. The device as a whole constituting a loop, or handle by means of which the curtain can be pulled out and the vertical bar F brought into engagement with the keeper E. This keeper E comprises a plate portion E having a vertical hook shaped socket E integral therewith, said socket being shaped to receive the round portion of the bar F and it will be noted that this bar F has an eccentric lip or flange F which is adapted to engage the edge of the socket whenever tension is placed upon the chain or cable G by pulling the cars apart and this flange 0r lip F riding upon the outer edge of the socket tends to lift or draw the bar F out of en gagement with the keeper as most clearly shown in Fig. 3 and in this manner the lip or flange is automatically disengaged from the said keeper. The rod or bar F in addition to having the eccentric lip or flange has the lug II to which the arm H is connected so that the moment the cars are pulled apart and tension is exerted upon the chain the handle or loop will be auto matically disengaged.

In order to avoid passing the chain or cable through the curtain proper I provide openings I in the tubular portion of the handle or lip and a similar passageway I in the rod I) in the end of the curtain, said openings and passageway registering so that the chain or cable can pass freely therethrough as most clearly shown in Figs, 1, 2 and 3 and this also provides a direct pull in a horizontal direction upon the arm. II.

It will thus be seen that I provide a simtion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a curtain, of a fixed keeper, a handle or loop attached to the curtain and adapted to engage the keeper and means working through said handle or loop for disengaging said handle from the keeper.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a curtain, of a fixed keeper, a handle or loop having a rotatable member, said member being adapted to engage the keeper and means attached to said rotatable member and passing through the handle or loop, for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a spring actuated curtain, of a fixed keeper, a handle or loop having a rotatable member adapted to engage said fixed keeper, said handle or loop having a passageway extending therethrough, and means passing through said passageway and connected with the rotatable member, for the purpose specified.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a curtain, of a fixed keeper, a loop or handle connected to said curtain and having a rotatable member adapted to engage said keeper, said rotatable member having an eccentric lip or flange, an arm projecting from said rotatable member, a chain or cable connected to said arm and passing through the handle or loop, as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM E. TIPPETT.

Witnesses:

V. E. YOAKLEY, J. D. YOAKLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

